How Young Eric Clapton Spoiled Christmas For Himself

Eric Clapton's new album sparked a poignant memory about the time he ruined Christmas for himself as a boy – although it’s remained an important moment for him.

He recently released his first-ever holiday project, titled Happy Xmas, and his comments were part of a 20-minute video that accompanies the LP.

“My first real memory of Christmas – it’s a sad one in a way,” Clapton told his producer, Simon Cline. “I had hinted to my grandfather, who raised me, that I wanted a Triumph TR3 for Christmas. It was a plastic remote control car. You could turn the steering wheel and everything.”

He continued, “I did one of those things that are really awful to do. [I’d] go searching the house, pre-Christmas, to see what [I] got. And this was something I did for many years afterwards, which I shouldn’t have done.” Predictably, he found the car – but got caught in the act. “And it was exactly what I wanted, but it took the enjoyment out of it altogether. Me just being greedy and curious and nosy," Clapton added.

You can watch the full special below:

Clapton added that it was still a memorable Christmas, both because his grandparents had been so thoughtful and because the toy car remained his favorite for many years. “[T]he memory of it obliterates all the ones that came after,” he reflected.

Clapton also released an animated lyric video for “Home For the Holidays,” which appears on Happy Xmas. You can watch it below: